Snowflakes
by Kaya Kazaki
Summary: Maybe getting dragged along with an over-excited Rukia in the snow wasn't as bad as Ichigo had once thought.


"It's been so long since I've seen snow," Rukia breathed, peering at the falling snowflakes. She balanced on a low wall as she walked with Ichigo, making her almost an entire inch taller than him. Ichigo sighed, his breath coming out as a frosty puff. Rukia slipped off her mittens and let the snow fall into her palm.

"Really? But doesn't it snow in Soul Society?" He asked. Rukia shook her head, silently marveling at the pristine snow gathering on her hands. She blinked as the snow turned to water from her body heat.

"It melted," She said blatantly. Ichigo rolled his eyes and glanced at her.

"That's what happens when you let 'em touch your skin." He drawled. Rukia scowled at him and swatted his bicep. Ichigo shoved his gloved hands into the pocket of his coat, slightly irritated. He had woken up that morning to Rukia practically standing on him, looking out the window. It had snowed overnight, covering everything in a thick blanket of snow.

Rukia had nagged Ichigo all day until he gave in and let her drag him on a walk. That's how he ended up outside, in the cold, on a weekend. He glanced at her again, watching her secretly from the corner of his eye. It was actually kind of worth letting her drag him around, as her eyes sparkled with an almost childish curiosity.

"My hands are cold," Rukia said suddenly. She was staring at her hands, her fingertips beginning to turn red from the cold.

"Hey!" Ichigo said, taking his hands from the warmth of his pockets. "Put your mittens on, you're gonna get frostbite." He grumbled. She grabbed her mittens, which she had tucked under her arm, and then grabbed her hands. He forcefully shoved her fingers into the mittens. Rukia scowled down on him from her position on the small brick wall.

"I can do it myself!" She hissed. Ichigo rolled his eyes and rubbed his fingers over her cloth-covered hands, making sure her fingers were in the right place.

"You couldn't this morning," he countered evenly. Rukia pouted and snagged her hands back, blushing slightly.

"That doesn't count. We don't wear _mittens _in Soul Society." She grumbled. Ichigo snickered before trudging forward. Rukia huffed frostily before carefully padding over the slippery wall to catch up with him. She just enjoyed being taller than him for once.

"O-Oi! Ichigo, wait up!" She yelled. Ichigo paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Ya know, you could get off the wall and catch up with me." He said. Rukia finally caught up with him and glared at him.

"And lose the one time I get to have the height advantage? I don't think so." She said, crossing her arms. Ichigo smirked at her, cocking an orange eyebrow. Suddenly, he leaned to the right, staring past her.

"Is that a snow rabbit?" He said. Rukia snapped her head his the direction of Ichigo's gaze.

"Where?!" She smiled, looking around expectantly. In her rush, her boots slipped on the icy wall and she lost her balance. She gasped slightly as she felt the wind rush past her as she fell...

...Right into Ichigo's arms.

She blinked as she suddenly stopped falling and glanced at her unexpected savior. She raised an eyebrow at him and their current position. One hand rested between her shoulder blades and the other on the small of her back. Rukia's hands were still clutching Ichigo's shoulders out of reflex and self-preservation.

"You can put me down now," she said, frowning. Ichigo smirked at her.

"You're blushing." He stated. Rukia blinked, and actually felt the heat rise to her face that time.

"I am not!" She hissed. Ichigo's smirk turned into a full out grin, still not releasing her.

"Are too." He said. Rukia scowled and squirmed slightly, getting uncomfortable with how close he was to her. Then again, the coldness was fading away, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

"It's just the cold," she grumbled. Ichigo rolled his eyes and lowered himself onto his knee, pulling her even closer.

"Right. But you don't exactly seem to be against me being your knight in shining armor," he said smugly. Rukia's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as she moved her hands from his shoulders to wrap around his neck.

"Just shut up and kiss me before I kill you." She growled. Ichigo huffed in triumph before lowering his head to brush his lips against hers.

"Will do, Princess."

* * *

**A/N: If you couldn't tell, Ichigo and Rukia were already dating before this.**

**-Kaya Kazaki**


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